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Your rockstar candidate dropped out of consideration, smack dab in the middle of the interview process, but you are unsure why. First things first, what does your interview process entail?

No matter the position, the early interactions between the candidates and your company are critical. Employers are posing high demand for candidates of all skill sets, unfortunately resulting in a candidate shortage. Therefore, the market is more candidate-driven than ever. Candidates know their worth and are not settling for anything less. And chances are if you feel you have a really great candidate, you are probably right, and they have multiple offers.

Taking the time to find the right candidate for the job (and company) is a must, but at what cost?

Improvements for an Efficient Interview Process

Taking the time to improve your interview process will only enhance the effectiveness of your recruitment strategy. The following are simple ways to streamline the interview process, giving way to exceptional talent.

1. Respect Candidates’ Time

Time kills all deals. One of the chief complaints job candidates cite about the interview process is how many times they are brought in to interview. These days, Glassdoor is citing interview processes spanning at least 23 days, which is up 13 days from 2009. In another example from the Society for Human Resource Management blog, one man was asked to interview for a single marketing position six times within a four-month span, with the company ultimately hiring another candidate. Not a great look.

This kind of open-ended interview process shows lack of position knowledge and is not beneficial to anyone. Focus instead on doing a few targeted, very in-depth interviews. Set expectations with the candidate in terms of timing to better plan. If you’re looking for a safe number, cap the number of interviews per candidate at three.

2. Switch to Panel Interviews

Often the reason a candidate goes through so many interviews is because they must meet with – and be evaluated by – all the key stakeholders at the organization. Rather than having candidates meet with each decision-maker or manager in separate interviews, conduct a panel interview. Switching to panel interviews is a quick and effective change to improve your interview process with the very next candidate. Panel Interviews streamline the interview process and allows each decision-maker to experience the same side of the candidate, making it easier to discuss the candidate’s qualifications and compare notes.

3. Pay Attention to Outcomes, Not Experience

As Fast Company writes, experience isn’t always a good signal that a candidate is right for the job, nor should it be a core requirement of a the job spec. Instead, look at outcomes and performance metrics, with a focus on specific KPIs. If you are clear about what outcomes you are looking for from a candidate – and the candidate is able to provide you with data related to past performance – you can more easily recognize if the person is right for the role.

Streamline Your Interview Process with Profiles

Working with a creative staffing agency like Profiles is one of the simplest ways to improve the interview process. We are experienced at staffing Fortune 500 companies with the top 20 percent of candidates in a variety of industries and backgrounds. Profiles matches top-level companies with the creative professionals that are critical to success.